A portrait of the former leader hangs above a family shrine, in a private home. Artworks depicting Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China, are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. During Mao’s ‘Cultural Revolution’, erecting statues of him was seen as a way of showing loyalty. The slightest defect could incur strict penalties. Most statues of Mao came down when the ‘Cultural Revolution’ ended in 1977. But there are many people who still regard him as a demigod and believe that the images can bring good fortune or dispel evil. Mao’s birthday, on 26 December, is marked by public processions and festivities.

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Kuang Huiming was born in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia in 1964, and took up photography in 1989. Seven years later, he was honored as one of the Top Ten Photographers in Hunan Province. In 2004, photos from a special project on miners were exhibited in Beijing, helping Kuang earn a place in the Top Ten Photographers in China. In 2006, his Portraits of Miners project was selected to be shown across 30 different media outlets, including CCTV.